Last year, sales in Bulgaria of prescription and non-prescription drugs alone (at retail prices based on sales from wholesalers to pharmacies and hospitals) reached BGN 4.616 billion, which represents a growth in value of 9.7% in compared to the results of 2021, commented Luka Chichov, General Manager for Central and Eastern Europe of IQVIA. In addition, purchases of nutritional supplements from pharmacies increased by 17.7% in value and reached BGN 756 million. The hospital market recorded a decline in the number of packages sold compared to 2021. Unlike previous years, when the hospital market, which "consumes" a third of all drugs, was the driver of the growth of the entire market with a double-digit value, albeit from more low base, in 2022 this trend is already absent. Growth in both the pharmacy and hospital markets is over 9%, with the pharmacy market slightly ahead of hospital sales with growth of 9.8% versus 9.4%. At the same time, hospital purchases continue to be mainly focused on cancer drugs, which are covered by the health fund. In practice, the largest part of the market - about BGN 700 million out of BGN 1.237 billion - is aimed at oncology. The top five categories for hospitals are all cancer therapies. Their total growth is worth over BGN 120 million, which is more than the growth of the general hospital channel, Chichov says. In pharmacies, the fastest growing category is that of anticoagulants. The latest generation of blood-thinning and thrombus-reducing drugs have a growth of over BGN 26 million compared to 2021. For another year, sales of probiotics (for a total of 72 million in 2022) are the largest in terms of amount for nutritional supplements, which have increased by 20%, or BGN 12 million more, followed by immunostimulants with an increase of almost 21%. Joint care products take third place with sales of over BGN 36 million, followed by cold or flu medicines, which for another year made a remarkable jump - over 33% in value. The smallest segment in pharmacies (under BGN 100 million) - online sales, where the law only allows the sale of products without a prescription, also saw a 10% growth, and for the second year in a row, vitamins and minerals are the most sought after through this channel , followed by beauty products. The year 2022 significantly reshuffles the ten largest corporations in the sale of prescription drugs, with a new participant - Johnson & Johnson entering the position of the only Bulgarian pharmaceutical company among the leaders - "Sopharma". There is a change in the entire top ten - "Teva" gives up its traditional third place to MSD, and apart from the American concern, the other two companies with a move to a higher position are AstraZeneca and Swixx Biopharma. Number one in sales continues to be Novartis, with the Swiss concern consolidating its results with those of its generics and biosimilars division Sandoz. There are no major shifts in the drug wholesale segment in 2022. Out of a total of 328 registered drug distributors, the leading four have more than 80% market share in the supply of prescription and non-prescription drugs to hospitals and pharmacies. Traditionally, these are "Sopharma Trading", "Phoenix Pharma", "Sting" and "Pharmnet". Together, the four companies carry out more than 92% of deliveries to the approximately 3,000 pharmacies operating in Bulgaria. In this channel, the leading wholesaler is "Sting" with 28.63% market share and 1.03% growth. The hospital market continues to be increasingly fragmented, and the leader of it for 2022 is Sopharma Trading again, says Luka Chichov. There is no serious dynamics in the number of pharmacies either, as there is usually an increase in their number in the summer months due to seasonal pharmacies opening in seaside resorts. However, the trend for an increasingly high market share of pharmacy chains is deepening. Chains with more than 50 sites hold 41.15% of sales, although the number of their sites represents 20.5% of the total number of operating pharmacies in the market. Top 10 Corporations by Sales Value for 2022 PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Novartis Roche Merck Sharp & Dohme Teva Pfizer AstraZeneca AbbVie Swixx Biopharma Bayer Johnson & Johnson MEDICINES WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION Teva Sopharma GlaxoSmithKline Reckitt Benckiser Novartis Sanofi Bayer Vedra Nobel Pharma Menarini
Source: Capital (18.04.2023)

A modern pharmaceutical factory will be built in the village of Zidarovo, announced the municipality of Sozopol. Mayor Tihomir Yanakiev has attracted a serious company in the industry - "Vedra International" JSC. The company's team has more than 15 years of experience in building partnerships with all participants in the pharmaceutical market in Bulgaria - pharmacists, doctors, manufacturers, state institutions and patients. He builds long-term business relationships with international pharmaceutical manufacturers in Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia and other countries in the region. "Vedra International" JSC also applied for "Investors Class A", which means that the entire infrastructure next to the factory will be repaired, and it passes through the village. The investment will be made in two stages. The first stage is worth BGN 12 million. It includes the construction of the pharmaceutical factory itself. 50 jobs will be created in it. The second stage will include the creation of greenhouses for herbs and a factory for their processing. It will provide herbal extracts for the pharmaceutical industry. burgasnews.
Source: Other (07.09.2023)

Pharmaceutical production, tourism and agriculture - all this unites the large-scale investment project "Vedra Land" of the company Vedra International and its owned manufacturer Tera Pharmaceuticals. It will be implemented in the Sozopol village of Zidarovo, which is in the Strandzha region. The investment will be in the range of over 40 million BGN, and the first stage includes a production base, for which there is also an effective construction permit. It will be licensed and certified according to a number of international standards. It will produce Terazal gastro medical products, suppositories, ovules and spray, and future development is planned to include the production of nutritional supplements and medicinal forms, the company specifies. The creation of an economic complex for the cultivation of more than 60 types of herbs and medicinal plants, as well as fruit trees and dairy animals is also planned. The plan is that medical students and pharmacists in Burgas will also have access to it. Initially, about 40 specialist biologists, chemists and pharmacists will be engaged in the production of medical devices, and when "Vedra Land" is fully realized, more than 200 people will work there.
Source: money.bg (19.09.2023)